Recreation Events and Activities
The Lost Coast Labyrinth
The labyrinth is dedicated to Karin Dunphy, a long time resident of Shelter Cove, and SCARF board member from 2017 - 2022. It has always been a dream of Karin's to have a labyrinth in Shelter Cove, and she was the inspiration that encouraged SCARF to attempt this project.
While SCARF was thrilled to head up this project, it would not have been possible without the assistance of the Resort Improvement District #1, which allowed us to use their land, and of course the amazing community of Shelter Cove, who provided provided ideas, money, and lots of labor to make this project possible.
For those unfamiliar with labyrinths, a labyrinth is a circular path which is used for meditative purposes, and you can see others in Eureka, Arcata, Garberville, and Santa Rosa - there are over 400 in California. The Lost Coast Labyrinth, is now listed on the Worldwide Labyrinth locater site. We want to thank SCARF Board Member, Nina Jackson for getting it listed, and we want to thank the Shelter Cove community, RID, and all of our sponsors for helping us make this a reality.
Download the Lost Coast Labyrinth flier here.
The labyrinth is dedicated to Karin Dunphy, a long time resident of Shelter Cove, and SCARF board member from 2017 - 2022. It has always been a dream of Karin's to have a labyrinth in Shelter Cove, and she was the inspiration that encouraged SCARF to attempt this project.
While SCARF was thrilled to head up this project, it would not have been possible without the assistance of the Resort Improvement District #1, which allowed us to use their land, and of course the amazing community of Shelter Cove, who provided provided ideas, money, and lots of labor to make this project possible.
For those unfamiliar with labyrinths, a labyrinth is a circular path which is used for meditative purposes, and you can see others in Eureka, Arcata, Garberville, and Santa Rosa - there are over 400 in California. The Lost Coast Labyrinth, is now listed on the Worldwide Labyrinth locater site. We want to thank SCARF Board Member, Nina Jackson for getting it listed, and we want to thank the Shelter Cove community, RID, and all of our sponsors for helping us make this a reality.
Download the Lost Coast Labyrinth flier here.
Scroll down to see the timeline of this project's development, as well as the names of all who helped.
Project Development Timeline
The project started with Bill Franklin completing grading of the site, on a lot next to the Shelter Cove Nature Trail, on Upper Pacific Drive. We have had many work parties, starting with breaking ground, setting the redwood pole, spreading wood chips, making the pathways, making and installing the benches, and finally planting the berms. We are truly lucky to live in a community that thrives on volunteering. The timeline and activities for the phases of this project are noted below :-
The artistic elements of the labyrinth were provided by :-
Artistic Rendition: Vanessa Kay & Darcie Maassen
Redwood Pole: Bruce Willis
4 Redwood Benches: Chris Ball
Labyrinth Redwood Sign: Seth Plank
Corporate sponsors include
The Humboldt Lodging Alliance - Southern Region
Vocality Community Credit Union
So Hum Health
Randall Sand & Gravel
Whitethorn Construction
November 2023
The 13 foot redwood center pole was completed and set in place.
The pole has carved images of nature and sea life. The following group of local residents helped with this task :-
Bruce Willis, Jr. - cut down the tree and assisted his dad with the pole carving.
Bruce Willis - designed and carved the pole.
Dan Bell - provided and operated the crane that lifted the 6,000 plus pole.
Andy Freed - provided and operated the backhoe that dug the hole for the pole.
Larry & Sue Corpus & Dale Alexander - provided lots of labor.
December 2023
The following group of local residents planted 250 daffodils :-
Nancy Mitchell
Donna Attar
Glenna Robley
Cheryl Lisin
Natalie Urbano
Cynthia Eden
The Boudreaux Family - Jared, Effie, MacGyver and Phoenix
We broke also ground on the parking area and the parking area has gravel. Thank you, Bill Franklin.
Tracy Speelman, from the Eel River Wailaki blessed the land where the labyrinth is being installed, and we greatly appreciate their support.
We started laying wood chips within the labyrinth circle. There is lots more to do, but it gives you an idea of what the finished product will look like.
January 2024
In spite of very bad weather, a work party gathered to install the ground cover to prevent weeds on the south side of the labyrinth, and then covered it in wood chips. This is a major step, as after the northern side is completed, work can begin marking the path design of the walkway.
Thanks to John Firebaugh and his dog Raven, Jerry and Nina Jackson, and Mark and Nancy Mitchell for their hard work getting this step done before the rain started. Also thanks to Mike Soluri and Bill and Linda Franklin for the use of their tools that made the work so much faster.
February 2024
the following individuals who came out this last weekend to work on the Labyrinth. The help is greatly appreciated - thank you for all your hard work!
John Firebaugh and Raven
Chris & Wendy Ball
Jan Poyner
Venessa Kay
Constance Berger
Gina Machi
Dale & Jan Alexander
Tony & Julie Vande Voorde
Tim Fogary
Natalie Urbano
Allie Bauer
March 2024
A huge thank you to Cheryl Lisin from the Friends of the Lost Coast, as well as to all the other volunteers who came out to help bring the Labyrinth closer to completion.
The walkways are completed, the daffodils are blooming, and the beautiful benches are in. Cheryl helped direct the weeding and also provided native plants to spread out on the 4 berms surrounding the Labyrinth.
We planted yarrow, clarkia, gum plant, poppies, iris, phacelia, flowering current, and red elderberry. These are all native plants and should thrive on the site. Soon, the pavers that the community sponsored will be installed at the two entrances to the Labyrinth along with hand carved entrance signs.
Thanks to all those who participated in the March work parties, and thanks to Chris Ball who designed and created the benches.
John Firebaugh and Raven
Dale and Jan Alexander
Nina and Jerry Jackson
April Piercey
Chrissy Mooney
Mark Mitchell
Chris Ball
Wendy Ball
Steve Soderquist
April and May 2024
Installation of all 135 pavers ordered by the public has been completed.
Thanks to Jeff Hildreth and Marc Rivera for helping to complete this phase.
Many thanks to the residents listed above for their time, effort and hard labor, and special thanks to Friends of the Lost Coast for their support. SCARF thanks the whole community for their support and contributions throughout this project.
June 2024
SCARF would like to thank the ~ 40 - 50 people who came to the dedication of the Lost Coast Labyrinth on June 15th. If you did not already know, the labyrinth is dedicated to Ms. Karin Dunphy, a long time resident of Shelter Cove. It has always been a dream of hers to have a labyrinth in Shelter Cove, and she was the inspiration that encouraged SCARF to attempt this project. The initial project is now complete, and we will be adding more pavers, and there will be ongoing maintenance.
September 2024
The final pavers have been installed, and Seth Plank has installed the roof on the Labyrinth sign.
As you are aware, everything needs maintenance, and we wish to thank Cassidy Etter and Chris Pruitt for volunteering their time to keep the weeds down around the labyrinth.
We will be working on the planting mounds toward the end of September and hope you will come out to help at that time. More information to follow...
The project started with Bill Franklin completing grading of the site, on a lot next to the Shelter Cove Nature Trail, on Upper Pacific Drive. We have had many work parties, starting with breaking ground, setting the redwood pole, spreading wood chips, making the pathways, making and installing the benches, and finally planting the berms. We are truly lucky to live in a community that thrives on volunteering. The timeline and activities for the phases of this project are noted below :-
The artistic elements of the labyrinth were provided by :-
Artistic Rendition: Vanessa Kay & Darcie Maassen
Redwood Pole: Bruce Willis
4 Redwood Benches: Chris Ball
Labyrinth Redwood Sign: Seth Plank
Corporate sponsors include
The Humboldt Lodging Alliance - Southern Region
Vocality Community Credit Union
So Hum Health
Randall Sand & Gravel
Whitethorn Construction
November 2023
The 13 foot redwood center pole was completed and set in place.
The pole has carved images of nature and sea life. The following group of local residents helped with this task :-
Bruce Willis, Jr. - cut down the tree and assisted his dad with the pole carving.
Bruce Willis - designed and carved the pole.
Dan Bell - provided and operated the crane that lifted the 6,000 plus pole.
Andy Freed - provided and operated the backhoe that dug the hole for the pole.
Larry & Sue Corpus & Dale Alexander - provided lots of labor.
December 2023
The following group of local residents planted 250 daffodils :-
Nancy Mitchell
Donna Attar
Glenna Robley
Cheryl Lisin
Natalie Urbano
Cynthia Eden
The Boudreaux Family - Jared, Effie, MacGyver and Phoenix
We broke also ground on the parking area and the parking area has gravel. Thank you, Bill Franklin.
Tracy Speelman, from the Eel River Wailaki blessed the land where the labyrinth is being installed, and we greatly appreciate their support.
We started laying wood chips within the labyrinth circle. There is lots more to do, but it gives you an idea of what the finished product will look like.
January 2024
In spite of very bad weather, a work party gathered to install the ground cover to prevent weeds on the south side of the labyrinth, and then covered it in wood chips. This is a major step, as after the northern side is completed, work can begin marking the path design of the walkway.
Thanks to John Firebaugh and his dog Raven, Jerry and Nina Jackson, and Mark and Nancy Mitchell for their hard work getting this step done before the rain started. Also thanks to Mike Soluri and Bill and Linda Franklin for the use of their tools that made the work so much faster.
February 2024
the following individuals who came out this last weekend to work on the Labyrinth. The help is greatly appreciated - thank you for all your hard work!
John Firebaugh and Raven
Chris & Wendy Ball
Jan Poyner
Venessa Kay
Constance Berger
Gina Machi
Dale & Jan Alexander
Tony & Julie Vande Voorde
Tim Fogary
Natalie Urbano
Allie Bauer
March 2024
A huge thank you to Cheryl Lisin from the Friends of the Lost Coast, as well as to all the other volunteers who came out to help bring the Labyrinth closer to completion.
The walkways are completed, the daffodils are blooming, and the beautiful benches are in. Cheryl helped direct the weeding and also provided native plants to spread out on the 4 berms surrounding the Labyrinth.
We planted yarrow, clarkia, gum plant, poppies, iris, phacelia, flowering current, and red elderberry. These are all native plants and should thrive on the site. Soon, the pavers that the community sponsored will be installed at the two entrances to the Labyrinth along with hand carved entrance signs.
Thanks to all those who participated in the March work parties, and thanks to Chris Ball who designed and created the benches.
John Firebaugh and Raven
Dale and Jan Alexander
Nina and Jerry Jackson
April Piercey
Chrissy Mooney
Mark Mitchell
Chris Ball
Wendy Ball
Steve Soderquist
April and May 2024
Installation of all 135 pavers ordered by the public has been completed.
Thanks to Jeff Hildreth and Marc Rivera for helping to complete this phase.
Many thanks to the residents listed above for their time, effort and hard labor, and special thanks to Friends of the Lost Coast for their support. SCARF thanks the whole community for their support and contributions throughout this project.
June 2024
SCARF would like to thank the ~ 40 - 50 people who came to the dedication of the Lost Coast Labyrinth on June 15th. If you did not already know, the labyrinth is dedicated to Ms. Karin Dunphy, a long time resident of Shelter Cove. It has always been a dream of hers to have a labyrinth in Shelter Cove, and she was the inspiration that encouraged SCARF to attempt this project. The initial project is now complete, and we will be adding more pavers, and there will be ongoing maintenance.
September 2024
The final pavers have been installed, and Seth Plank has installed the roof on the Labyrinth sign.
As you are aware, everything needs maintenance, and we wish to thank Cassidy Etter and Chris Pruitt for volunteering their time to keep the weeds down around the labyrinth.
We will be working on the planting mounds toward the end of September and hope you will come out to help at that time. More information to follow...
The Children's Garden and Playground
Why Build a Children's Garden?
The flower garden at the entrance to the Shelter Cove Community Clubhouse is maintained by volunteers Mary Ellen Freed and Linda Franklin. Linda was going to work in the garden one morning and found young children running through the garden playing follow the leader. They were having fun, but some of the plants were being trampled, and it occurred to her that there was a need for a place where children could run and play, so she started sketching such a place - a garden designed with children in mind.
The Shelter Cove Arts and Recreation Foundation is proud to have worked with the Shelter Cove Resort Improvement District to provide this recreational opportunity for the community. The garden is an octagon shape with flower beds around the perimeter, an obstacle course with stepping stones, balance beams, upright log rounds, hopscotch, planter boxes for vegetables and berries, and a child size table and benches in the center.
In addition to community cash donors, and volunteers who helped turn Linda's idea into reality, we want to thank the following business who provided sponsorship - Redway Feed and Garden for providing all the potting soil for the raised beds, Whitethorn Construction, Dazey's Supply, Sylvandale Gardens, and Schmidtbauer Lumber for giving us generous discounts on the materials and supplies to build the garden project.
Why Build a Children's Garden?
The flower garden at the entrance to the Shelter Cove Community Clubhouse is maintained by volunteers Mary Ellen Freed and Linda Franklin. Linda was going to work in the garden one morning and found young children running through the garden playing follow the leader. They were having fun, but some of the plants were being trampled, and it occurred to her that there was a need for a place where children could run and play, so she started sketching such a place - a garden designed with children in mind.
The Shelter Cove Arts and Recreation Foundation is proud to have worked with the Shelter Cove Resort Improvement District to provide this recreational opportunity for the community. The garden is an octagon shape with flower beds around the perimeter, an obstacle course with stepping stones, balance beams, upright log rounds, hopscotch, planter boxes for vegetables and berries, and a child size table and benches in the center.
In addition to community cash donors, and volunteers who helped turn Linda's idea into reality, we want to thank the following business who provided sponsorship - Redway Feed and Garden for providing all the potting soil for the raised beds, Whitethorn Construction, Dazey's Supply, Sylvandale Gardens, and Schmidtbauer Lumber for giving us generous discounts on the materials and supplies to build the garden project.
Nature Hikes
Download this Nature Trail flyer and head out and enjoy the peace and beauty that these Shelter Cove trails provide - you won't be disappointed! In 2020, 51 new signs identifying plants and trees were added to the SCARF Nature Trail, and the Bill Franklin Nature Trail. Several new benches were also added to the trails. Download these plant identification flyers before you head out to walk the nature trails.
SCARF Nature Trail Plant Guide
Bill Franklin Nature Trail Plant Guide
Download this Nature Trail flyer and head out and enjoy the peace and beauty that these Shelter Cove trails provide - you won't be disappointed! In 2020, 51 new signs identifying plants and trees were added to the SCARF Nature Trail, and the Bill Franklin Nature Trail. Several new benches were also added to the trails. Download these plant identification flyers before you head out to walk the nature trails.
SCARF Nature Trail Plant Guide
Bill Franklin Nature Trail Plant Guide
